Water-purifier.



G. MRE.

wma Pumrlen.

APPUCATHN FILED 0ST. 3|. 19l4. 1 ,'27 1,925. lPatented July 9,1918.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

WATER PURlFIER.

.lcATloN man ocT. 31. m14.

Patented July 9, 1918;A

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

m'vamloz coiye More GEORGE MOORE, 0F JOPLIN, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR TO THECHEMICAL PROCESS COM- PANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEWYORK.

WATER-PUnIFIER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July a, 1918.

Application filed October 31, 1914. Serial No. 869,547.

treatment and more particularly to apparatus for facilitating theconcentration of the solids and the separation of such solids fm theliquid.

An object in view is the practically com` plete removal of solids fromsewage for discharging a clear effluent free from harmful substances.

With this and other objects in view, as will in part be hereinafterstated and in part become apparent, the invention comprises certainnovel constructions, combina-` tions, and arrangements of parts as willbe subsequently specified and claimed.

In the accompanying drawing:

.Figure 1 is a view partlyy in side elevation and partly in verticalsection of an apparatus embodying the invention.

F 2 is a top plan View thereof.

ig. 3 is an enlarged, detail fragmentary vertical section through thesupply hopper.

Fig. 4 is a top plan of the crane. Fig. 5 is an enlarged perspectiveView of one of the filter leaves detached, parts being broken away.

Referring to the drawing by numerals, 1 indicates an agitator tankhaving preferably a conical bottom 2, valved at 3 for facili-A tatingcleaning of the tank when desired. A feed hopper 4 discharges into tank1 and contains a disintegrator 5, consisting of a rotating shaft bearingblades for breaking up sludge, the shaft being rptated by power suppliedfrom any appropriate source not illustrated. Sewage supply pipe ortrough 6 discharge into hopper 4. An air jet 7 or other means ofagitation is provided for tank 1, and preferably discharges upwardly ina centrally disposed pipe 8 for maintaining circulation and thusinsuring effective agitation. Jet 7 is supplied with compressed .air orother pressure Huid through a pipe leading from any appropriate sourcenot shown.

A thickening tank 9 is arranged at one side of tank 1, and a trough 10leads from tank l to tank 9, the trough 10 having a hopper-likeenlargement 11 opening into tank 1 and having a bottom inclined towardtank 1. An open-end quieting drum 12 is arranged within and concentric`to and spaced from the walls of tank 9, land a sludge discharge pipe 13is preferably arranged substantially centrally within drum 12 andextends from approximately the Iapex of the conical bottom 15 of tank 9upwardly to a point above drum 12 and is thence bent and' extendedacross to and discharges into tank 1. An air jet 14 serves as a lift toforce thickened solids, commonly known as sludge, through pipe 13 backinto tank 1. A valve 16 controls discharge from the bottom of tank 9 forenabling cleaning of the tank when desired. l

A pipe or trough 1-7 leads from the upper end of drum l2 to a separatortank 13 having conical bottom 10 and valved at 20 for controllingdischarge of sludge through a pipe 21 to a sludge tank 22. Pipe 21 ispreferably flexible or otherwise adjustable for enabling easy controlof' the location of its discharge end.

A drum 23 is larranged within and concentric to the walls of tank 18,and a pipe or trough 24 communicates with drum 23 and extends to anddischarges into lter tank 25, havingthe hopper bottom 2G valved at 27for enabling cleaning and draining.

Removably arranged in tank 25 is a filter 28 of the Moore filter leaftype, wherein a plurality of leaves discharge through a common header,and each consists, as seen in Fig. 5 of a series of rods or strips ofwood extend through beams 33,

and one end serves as the discharge for the leaf, being connected withthe header above mentioned which latter is connected with the suctionpump in the ordinary manner of a Moore filter. l

A crane 34 rideson tracks 35 extending above tanks 25, 18, 9 and 1, andcables 36 y connect filter 28 with crane 34 for facilitating elevationof the filter above the tanks and movement thereof' to a position abovehopper 4 fordischarging the collected cakes from filter 28 into thehopper and thence into tank 1.

Tank 22 has hopper bottom 37 valved at 38 to facilitate cleaning. Acrane 39 is mounted on track 40 and connected by cables 41 with afilter' 42 in tank 22, ,the filter 42 being a duplicate of filter 28 butusually on a much reduced scale. Crane 39 is adapted to elevate filter42 and move the same to a point for discharging on to chute 43 whichleads to a briquet machine or other appropriate point of disposal.Agitating air supply pipes 44 are arranged in tanks 25 and 22 t-oprevent settling of solids inthe bottomsof said tanks.

In operation, tanks 1, 9 and 18 are filled with sewage. Foreign solidssuch as coal dust or the like, are "introduced into tank '1. The supplyof sewage through trough 6 being maintained, and air being supplied topipes 7, 14 and 44, the agitated sewage with foreign solids are causedto flow from tank 1 to tank 9 and there certain of the solids settle tothe bottom of the tank and are picked up and returned to tank -1 throughpipe 13,

while the lighter solids and liquid flow through conduit 17 to tank 18where the solids are allowed to settle to the bottom. Drum 12 largelyprevents agitation within tank 9 outside of drum 12, so as to avoiddischarge into -.conduit 17 due to agitation, and drum 23 largelyprevents agitation therein incident to the inflow to tank 18 throughconduit 17. Thus only the` most buoyant solids find their way into tank25, the balance being disposed of through pipe 21 into sludge tank 22,The heavier solids fall to the bottom of tank 18 and are drawn ofi'through pipe 21'into the sludge tank. In thisway filter 28 is notclogged b'y an eX- 'cessive mass of solids but is left free for pro-`longed and rapid operation before requir-- ing cleaning. The solids,finding their way into tank 25, are, however, so fine and adhesive thatspecial -provision is preferably made to prevent theircollecting againstthe fabric ofA the filter, since when so collected they are verydifficult to remove, whereas by applying a coating of coal dust,charcoal or .like easily removed material on the fabric first and thenfilteringthe effluent entering tank 25, thev fine, sticky solids collecton the outer surface of the filter coats or beds and in no Way interferewith the-cleaning of the filter. Liquid is sucked or drawn by anappropriate aspirator,- such as a hydraulic pump, through the filterbeds, the fabricand discharge pipes and finally through the dischargeheader to the pump and thence discharged as a perfectly clear efiiuent.This is continued until the sewage solids coating onthe filter' coats offilter 28 sufficientl obstruct the inflow of liquid as to renderltration slow. Thereupon, filter 28 is lifted from tank 25, moved overhopper.4, and the cakes or filter beds discharged fromthe filter leaves.To insure holding of these cakes on the 4filter leaves during transit,the connection with the aspirator is maintained, and when the filter isin position for discharge, it is usually sufficient to relieve thesuction and admit air to the interior of the filter leaves whereupon thecakes or filter beds fall ofi andl leave the filter fabric perfectlyclean. In instances'wherc the cakes fail to readily fall from theleaves, a reverse current, preferably of compressed air, is introducedthrough the header of the filterfinto the interior of the leaves. y

The filter 28 .then again 'has its leaves sup-- plied with filter bedcoatings preferably applied by introducing the filter into a tankofslimes, such as would be obtained by discharging all sewage from tank 25and filling the tank with water and then mixing coal dust or charcoal orthe like in the water until the requisite consistency of slim'es isproduced, and thenstarting the aspirator for sucking waterfrom the tankthrough the several filter leaves and building thereon cakes or' filterbed coats formed of the coal dust or other solids of the slimes. Thefluid mass is constantly agitated during the building of the cakes orcoatings as by an air jet or jets in the bottom or lower partl of the*tank. This method of coating the leaves is preferable because of itsease and speed, and also because one essential feature in the formationof the filter bed coating is that they should be uniform in consistencyand uniform in their resistance at all points to the advance of filtratetherethrouf h. The coats depositedl as described respon fully to thisrequirement since in the course of formation if a weak spot occurs, thatis a point where point, the flow will be quicl nedat this the infiow ismore easy thxngt any other t point of easy inflow and t solids of theVslirnes will quickly fill in the weak spot and render it uniform inresistance with all other points, so that the resulting filter cakes orvbeds offer substantially uniform permeability throughout.

The leaves of filter-28 being thus coated,

the filter is lowered into tank 25 or ifl that tank has been employed inthe coating operation the filter' is already in the tank, and the supplyof effluent through conduit 24 is started and the filtration of theeffluent continued as before. The supply is controlled from the source,not illustrated, to conduit 6, which is cut ofll while filter 28 is outof tank 25 and while being supplied with fresh filter bed coatings.

that additional foreign solids are desirable' such solids are directlyadded by being deposited in tank l.

The manipulations of filter 42 are effected the same as filter 28 exceptthat ordinarily there is an ample supply of'foreign solids in the sludgeto cause the cakes formed on the filter' leaves to be readilydischarged. If in working any sewage it becomes apparent that the cakesare not freeing themselves from the leaves of filter 42, said leaveswill of course be supplied with coatings of foreign solids beforefiltration of sludge.

Obviously one of the most important objects to be attained in thehandling of sewage is its rapid treatment without sacrifice ofefficiency, and to this end the tank 1 is always supplied with thethickest solids from the sewage which, being returned from tank 9 andcontaining both coagulated sewage solids and foreign solids aids incausing coagulation of the sewage solids of incoming sewage, so that theproduct finally discharged through conduit 17 contains solidsconditioned for more rapid settling and coagulation in tank 18 thancould have been secured had not the sewage been subjected to intimatecontact with other sewage solids and foreign solids such as occursduring agitation in tankv 1. A

The art of treating sewage is not claimed herein as the inventioninvolving such art has been made the subject matter of my copendingapplication Serial No. 869,548, filed October 31, 1914.

What I claim is 1. In combination,l a container, means for agitatingsewage therein, a thickening con-4 tainer communicating with the firstmentioned container for receiving sewage therefrom, means for returningthe thickened portions of sewage from the second container to the first,and means for removing solids from effluent discharged from the secondcontainer. v l

2. In combination, a container, means for agitating sewage therein, acontainer communicating with the first container and adapted to allowsettling of solids entering fromthe first container, and means fordischarging thickened materials from the lower portion of the secondcontainer directly back into the first container,

3. In combination, a container, means for agitating sewage therein, acontainer communicatlng with the first container and adapted to allowsettling of solids entering from the first container, means fordischarging thickened materials from the lower portion of the secondycontainer directly back into the first container, a third containercommunicating with the upper portion of the second container and adaptedto receive fluid and solids in suspensiontherefrom, and means forseparately treating products discharged from the upper and lower por--tions of the third container.

4. In combination, a contamer, means for Vagitating sewage therein, acontainer communicating with the first container and adapted to allowsettling of solids entering from the first container, means fordischarging thickened materials from the lower portion of the secondcontainer directly lback into the first container, a third containercommunicating with the upper portion-of the second container andadaptedto receive f'luid and solids in suspension therefrom, and meansfor separately filtering products discharged from theupper and lowerportions of the third container. f

5. In combination, a series of containers communicating successively,means for agifating sewage in the first, means for returning solids fromthe .secondy to the first and means for separately treating the thinliquid and the thick mass of the third container for separating thefluid from the solids.

6. In combination, an agitating tank,`a settling tank communicating withthe agitating tank, means for returning solids settling in the settlingtank to the agitating tank, a separating tank communicating with theupper portion of the settling tank, and means for delivering thickenedfiuid from the lower portion and thin fluid from the upper portion ofthe separating tank for separate treatment.

7. In sewage treatment apparatus, the combination of a container, asecond container adjacent to first container, a conduit affordingcommunication between the upper portion of the first container and theupper portion of the second container, said conduit having a hopper'like incline portion extending from a point adjac t the second containerto the lower portion of the first container, means for returning sludgefrom the lower portion of the second container to the first container,and means for separating the fluid from the solids of the effluent fromthe second container.

8. In sewage treatment apparatus, the combination of arr agitating tank,a separating tank communicating therewith, means for disposing o'fsludgepfrom the separating tank, a tank for receiving the effluent fromthe separating tank, a filter for separating solids from liquid in thelast named tank, agitating the contents of thetank, a thickenand meansfor returning the solids sepaing tank communicating With the agitatingrated from the eflluent to the agitating tank. tank, means for returningsolids from the 9. In sewage treatment apparatus, the thickening tank tothe agitating tank, a tank 5 combination of ahfagitating tank, a hopperreceiving the effluent from the thickening 20 4discharging into saidtank, means for detank, a filter for separating the liquid and liveringsewage to the hopper, a disintegrasolids in the last named tank, andmeans tor in the hopper,atank for receiving ellluent for returning thethus separated solids to fromthe agitating tank, a filter for separattheagitating tank. 10 ing liquid from solids in the last named In testimonywhereof I affix my signature 25 tank, andmeans for delivering solidscolin presence of two witnesses.

lected on the filter into the hopper. A GEORGE MOORE.

10. In sewage treatment apparatus, the Witnesses: combination of anagitating tank, means for R. M. PARKER,

15 deliveringfthe 'sewage thereto, means for EDGAR M. KITCHEN.

